Fate:Breaker
by Starlight's Poet
Summary: At the end, where he would soon fade away from existence, he accepted his Fate. Yet, now, when he opens his eyes, a new world is open to him. Seven days. Thirteen survivors. A trial to prove human potential. It was yet another war...but this time, it was fighting for an ideal than for a wish. And this time, your right to exist isn't just on the line.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** ...well, never expected to do a story like this before. Just for clarification's sake, this is a collab between myself and my cousin Olly, who has not made a fanfiction account as of yet. Regardless, he is someone who is well-experienced in writing as he has an account in fiction press. We're both fans of the Fate franchise, and as we finished Fate/Extella - The Umbral Star and finished Devil Survivor 2: Record Breaker, we decided to write this.

For further clarification, this story takes place at the end of Fate/Extra, the first game in the Exta Universe. Spoilers ahead for those who have not played Fate/Extra or finished the game! You have been warned!

With that in mind, let us begin.

 _Edit:_ Small nitpick. Apparently, trying to put the two ".'s" in SERAPH causes the word to become censored. Its happened before when someone tries to properly spell "DGrayMan." Not sure why.

* * *

 **Earth scientists have hypothesized so-called 'parallel worlds,' other versions of Earth and its surroundings, expanding indefinitely like mirrored relfections. If true, that would mean that Earth has not only one future, but many. In other words...**

 **Think of it like this. The 'you' that you are aware of exists somewhere upon this timeline.**

 **It might sound unreal. Humans aren't equipped to perceive, let alone traverse, the 'wall between worlds.' But what if I put it in another way? Think of these parallel worlds as other possibilities.**

 **Imagine what you might have been in your life. Think of the connections that were cut off and thrown away. Options you see now, in retrospect, that you would never have considered at the time. Picture how your life today might be different had those 'what-ifs' come to pass. All those variant futures, in everyone's lives, make up the vast array of parallel worlds.**

 **Your actions, those of the you in this present moment on this particular timeline, can change the world in any number of ways. That proves such possibilities are alive, and that your world exists on the 'proper axis.'**

 **Conversely, a world where the future cannot be changed, regardless of your chances, can have no parallel worlds. Such a world is nothing but a dead end, solitary and singular, with a past as immutable as its future.**

 **This is a necessary evil, a byproduct of the way parallel worlds are structured together. After all, a world where humanity made radical different choices would bear very little resemblance to the world you know.**

 **Some worlds may have crumbled by making all of the worst choices. Others may have made all the right ones, and rocketed ahead, perhaps too far ahead. In either case, that world can no longer be said to resemble ours, and once a world moves out of sync, it is no longer 'parallel.'**

 **"Why would those worlds become solitary," you ask? "Could the people in those worlds not still make different choices?"**

 **Unfortunately, no. This dimension contains a finite amount of energy, and has none to spare for creating new worlds from the worlds gone so far astray.**

 **If parallel worlds continued to increase in this manner, their number would eventually exceed the capacity of this dimension. Parallel worlds must exist, but in a manageable quantity. This solar system would collapse within 100 years if the parallel worlds expanded without limits.**

 **Seeing as how we do, in fact, live and multiply, the solar system is clearly not oversaturated with possibilities at this time. This dimension could well sustain existence for the next 100,000,000 years.**

 **The system works thusly: At regular intervals, the dimension takes stock of the possibilities it contains, and only allows certain outcomes, those that would not cause undue difficulty in managing the next generation, to remain. As for the unneeded parallel worlds, the system closes off their futures.**

 **Specifically, every 100 years, it calculates how many worlds will last another 100 years, and supports those worlds only. Have you heard of the Law of the Conversation of Mass? This could be called the Law of Conservation of Events.**

 **And so, the civilizations in these numerous parallel worlds line up with one another. Think of it all as a giant tree. Only the trunk at the center can grow tall. The branches may bear fruit, but eventually, they reach their limit, and fall without reaching the future.**

 **You understand, yes? There are no parallel world for a world that has evolved too fast or crumbled too quickly. Such worlds are merely dead ends whose outcomes are predetermined.**

 **And so, there is a set time frame in which these branches are trimmed, extra possibilities are removed, and future histories, once fluid, turn to stone. The mages of your old world called this time frame 'the Foundation of Humanity."**

 **Such laws apply to the Moon Cell as well. The Moon Cell is a self-updating observatory, which continues to record every incident and possibility on Earth. You could say it makes the same observations on parallel worlds.**

 **In any case, this Foundation of Humanity governs the Moon just as it does the Earth, tracking the various worlds and determining where their futures come to an end.**

 **Once one passes that event horizon, there is no turning back, nor turning aside. Any lingering 'ifs' become 'might-have-beens.'**

 **It is the work of a great invisible hand...it would be accurate to say it is a god's invisible hammer. One might call this point in time 'the Quantum Timelock,' the event compilation set by an absolute observer.**

 **"What is this absolute observer," you ask?**

 **Its name...is Polaris.**

* * *

 _Fate/Breaker_

* * *

 **1st Day: Melancholy of Sunday**

* * *

Chapter 1

At first, it felt like I was falling into a deep ocean.

My clothes were perfectly fine - clean and crisp as they always were whenever I woke up, yet the sensation I felt as I fell and fell deeper into an unknown abyss was akin to that of sinking, as if a great weight was placed upon me.

I made no attempts to stop it, however. I had long since made peace with this fate.

Even now, I felt it. My digits were losing feeling. My arms no longer began to feel so heavy. My body was beginning to feel weightless, as if it were floating gently. Around me were aquamarine shards, slowly rising towards what looked to be a murky water surface, a light blotched out.

Perhaps one might call this sensation 'death.'

Death in the Moon Cell equals deletion. One's mind and soul is converted into sprites and polygons and bits of spiritual bits of information - spiritrons. Here, in the Moon Cell, one creates an Avatar, composed of it, and acting as their heart is a "core." One's real body lies elsewhere, untouched by what transpires in the Moon Cell. Whatever damage you feel is merely the signals in your brain, simulating what it feels to take such damage.

If one sustains damage, the spiritrons making up your virtual body are damaged as well. That can be repaired.

A "core" cannot. Whatever damage is done is permanent.

I knew this well, even though I remembered nothing else. My earliest memories are the same routine I do everyday of every week - wake up, go to school, attend class, listen to lecture, eat, do homework, return home and sleep, waiting for the next day to begin. This, perhaps, lasted only for what I thought was a year or so.

It was hard to tell, given how dull school life was.

Perhaps I...should begin at the beginning. My name is Hakuno Kishinami, 17-years-old I believe. I am the master of Saber, and winner of the Moon Cell Holy Grail War.

...for only an hour.

I was different from the magus who chose to participate in this hellish competition, where one would stake their very life on the line in order to have their ultimate wish granted by the all-powerful automation that made up this entire world. As I learned about my past prior to my current state, I had been diagnosed with a disease that led to amnesia, and eventually, to death.

My body was preserved, in hopes of one day finding a cure.

There was one person - a brilliant man who, like I, became a Master in the War. A doctor, who had been the only one capable of curing my illness.

Sadly, he had long since passed from the real world.

I was regarded as an 'irregularity' by the Moon Cell, even though I had been crowned the victor of this long and arduous conflict. A ghost in an otherwise perfect machine. As I was being regarded as such, I had managed to copy all of the data I learned about myself, and sent it to the people who may yet hold an answer to the question I found unable to myself.

Saber was unaware of my fate, most likely. If she were...I could possibly imagine her diving in after me, joining my Fate to be broken done bit by bit and deleted, and then, likely, summoned once again to become a Servant in a future war.

That particular thought made my "core" clench.

When a Servant is summoned, it automatically understands the world around it. It learns everything there is to know - every event, every day, every month, every year...all information there is to know in the world is transferred into their brain. However, when summoned into a new conflict, they hold no memories of their previous conflict.

The only exception, I learned, was another Saber Class Servant. Her name was mentioned as I searched for data about myself, and while I dismissed it as irrelevant at the time, her circumstances were intriguing. I wish I could have learned more, as I merely skimmed through her data.

I gave a tired sigh, yet no sound registered in my ears. Whether it was because now the data to "breath" or the data to "hear" was unknown to me.

Strangely, for the first time, and in spite of these odd circumstances, on top of my morbid Fate...I was content.

Would that be the correct word for my current state of being? Content?

...yes, it must. Ever since I awoke in this world, I was without a sense of purpose, wondering aimlessly. Even when I first met Saber, there was still much I did not understand nor yearn.

Yet now, I...felt at peace. Had I, perhaps, achieved something that my "core" had, unknowingly, desired? If so, what? I tried to think of what that could be, but I found myself unable to think.

Even the data to "think" was being deleted.

As I floated even deeper into the black abyss, I saw that there was little of my arm left. Barely enough to be considered the size of a wide branch.

My eye then caught sight of something - floating in the murky black I fell into.

It was a man.

I did not need to squint to discern his features, for he stood before me a bit aways. Close enough for me to see what he looked like.

Hair, white as snow, with a fringe that curved around his forehead. Handsome features that could be made of marble. Soft-spoken blue eyes that looked ready to fall closed at any moment. A serene smile gracing his face. A top that covered the upper body of his otherwise lithe frame, gentle red and black "v" shaped strokes creating a beautiful complimenting pattern. Black pants accented his shoes, which bore the same pattern.

It took me a moment to realize that the man was floating..and staring at me, with curiosity and intrigue.

"Shining One, why do you accept this fate?"

His voice was soft-spoken and melodious, well-mannered and respectful as if speaking to someone who earned such things.

One thing caught my attention from his words.

 _Shining One._

I would have asked what such a thing meant, had my capability to think and ponder not been ravaged by the Moon Cell already. Instead, I was only capable of answering plainly,

"Because I have no choice."

Yes...that's right. I had no choice in the matter.

In fact, this fate was...determined for me. Win or lose, it didn't matter. The Moon Cell would have regarded me as an irregularity either way, and I would be deleted.

My words made his smile droop a bit, yet not fade. Instead, he asked another question.

"Is that what you truly believe?"

For a moment, I found myself unable to answer that. I worried that the data to "answer" had been robbed of me as well, but some part of me, of what I do not know, had instead found an acceptable response.

"...it isn't a matter of believing."

The man tilted his head, one hand coming to cup his chin, his gaze shifting ever so slightly.

"I see..." For a while, silence. "...and, if you were given a choice?"

Again, a response had already come to mind. Strangely, I found that some data to "think" remained, as my mind shifted back to my journey.

Rin, Rani, Julius, Shinji, Leo...

Those names are ones that resounded strongly in my "core"-

No...in my heart.

And thus, I answered, with all of my heart.

"...I'd fight this fate of mine."

My answer pleased the mystery man greatly, as his smile broadened, eyes brimming with joy.

"I see...so, this is the human potential of this world."

He extended a hand to me, slender fingers spreading out, welcoming an embrace.

"Shining One...if fighting such an unfair fate is what you wish for...then take my hand."

What I wish for?

Was fighting my current circumstance - to be erased from the Moon Cell - my wish?

I had given the data of "myself" to Rin and Rani. They would be able to figure something out. I had faith in them. They were...the most brilliant friends I've ever had.

Perhaps, in time, they would be able to "salvage" me. Bring me back.

But...would it really be "me?"

Would it really be the Hakuno Kishinami that floated here, about to be deleted?

Would it really be the same man who became the Master of Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus?

That last thought spurned me forward. The data to "move" had been nearly erased, as I found difficulty in moving my already degraded arm forward.

My hand wrapped around his. His skin was silky smooth - more so than that of Saber. I felt a slight warmth to these hands, gentle without any roughness, yet with a tense grip that matched a warrior.

A shining blue light, much more vibrant than the spiritron shards of my own avatar, engulfed the mystery man and mine being. A welcoming soothing warmth washed over me, so nostalgic that I nearly believed that I was in Saber's arms. My eyes grew heavy, unable to hold them any longer.

How strange...here I am, accepting some unknown offer from a strange man, and all I can do is fall asleep.

The worst part is...I wasn't able to tell Saber goodbye.

 _...unbelieveable._

* * *

 _..._ I vaguely remembering hearing the man - the Anguished One's explanation. The concepts he explained were complex, yet I found myself able to understand them.

How much time had passed since he imparted this knowledge? Days? Months? I was unsure. In fact, I wasn't even remotely aware as to how we were able to hold such a conversation in the first place.

Perhaps this was an 'out of body experience?' If so, it was a most strange experience.

A shame I would not be able to regall any of it to Saber.

Eventually, I found myself able to feel. The familiar sensation of fingers twitching, muscles aching or feeling sore, the sudden pained hunger that emanated from the stomach, and the dryness of the mouth. It took me a moment to realize that I was standing up with feet firmly planted on the ground, and my eyes closed.

As I opened my eyes, I found them already adjusted to whatever light greeted me.

Instead, I was forced to adjust to the staggering number of people around me. The sheer number of people who walked by was far more than that then the crowded hallways of the school found in the Moon Cell.

Men, women, children.

I looked up, finding a brilliant blue sky above me, marred by white streaks. Towers of steel and metal reached high to try and pierce it but to no avail.

I was floored. Where on earth was this? My only memory of any city was that of the school I attended, but this? This was...different. It was not a school. It was an actual city, with hundreds of thousands of people occupying it. Trying to navigate such a place would be incredibly difficult.

The sun shined brilliantly in a way that not even the Moon Cell could replicate. I was forced to shield my eyes, but I soon noticed something odd. My clothes...

A plaid button-up jacket, the sleeves rolled up to the forearms and cuffs linked together by a button. Underneath, a v-neck shirt that exposed the area around my neck. Below, thin denim jeans and slightly comfortable brown loafers. Around the waist, a black belt with a silver buckle.

These...were not the clothes I was in previously. How strange. Did the Anguished One change my attire?

I slipped my hands into the pockets of my new jeans, curious if I had received anything. In my left pocket, I felt a solid, rectangular object. My hand wrapped around it and pulled it out. It was a cellphone, dark blue in color with a silver trim. I've never had a cellphone before in the Moon Cell, so the weight of the phone, though light, was a bit uncomfortable and foreign to me. I opened it, watching in amazement as my phone's upper half spun around, switching to a sideways position rather than matching the lower half where the keyboard lay. On my screen was an assortment of colors, all shades of blue with a mix of green.

I had wished to tinker with it, but I noticed a few odd looks as well as where I stood. In the midst of a small crowd, just a bit too close to the street. It seemed too out of place for someone to be, especially with the possibility of injuring themselves. Realizing that, I looked around for a suitable place to be.

Moving through the somewhat thick crowd, I entered what seemed to be a subway. I remembered a few details about cityscape at least. Trains were coming and going as they pleased, and looking at the chart close to the entrance, the next was not to arrive for a good half hour. I also looked at the name of the stops, trying to piece together what little knowledge I had about the real world to discover where I was at.

"Tokyo," was the answer after reading four of five train stops.

I was...in Tokyo. The heart of Japan.

"...not the strangest place I've been to," I muttered to myself, looking back at my phone.

It was time to see what the Anguished One armed me with.

* * *

 _"Show the will of the stars human potential."_

Those were the only words the Anguished One told me before I found myself in Tokyo. Whatever the bizarre man meant, I knew nothing. I was more concerned about my current position.

After checking out my new phone, I discovered a wallet in my back pocket, which had a good few hundred dollar yen bills and a license. It read: "Hakuno Kishinami." I was happy to know that, at the very least, I was not somehow thrown into someone else's body.

The Anguished One mentioned, in his explanation before I was brought to the real world - a parallel version of the real world as my Earth had been ruined by economy, degrading companies and other factors - that there were other "me's" in the universe. Perhaps the body I inhabited was the Hakuno Kishinami of this world?

I wonder what sort of life he led? Hopefully, nothing as horrible as my own life.

During my search perusing what my phone had, I eventually discovered that my phone had a message, though the sender was unknown. Inside the message was a single link, leading to a website.

Curiosity got the better of me, and I opened the link.

On the screen of my phone was the web page of a website.

"Nicaea β ver."  
"A Dead Face Delivery Site"

The dead face portion was...distressing, to say the least. However, at the same time, I was also intrigued by what this could possibly offer me. I then began the proper procedures to apply for the site. All it required was my user ID for the site itself, and my phone number. I followed the instructions down to the letter, and eventually, I was led to a curious step.

"Select your navigator's gender."

Displayed on the screen were two silhouettes, which I assumed were the navigator's. The one on the left was male, appearing to have a more "professional" feel despite none of his features being present, whereas the navigator on the right had a more "annoying" one, bearing bunny-ear like appendages atop the head.

Hm, male or female...for a moment I was hesitant to choose. Was it really necessary for a navigator? Sadly, there wasn't a "no" option.

After a mental flip of the coin, I decided on the female navigator. As soon as I did so, the silhouette of the male navigator vanished from the screen, and my chosen curator finally revealed her appearance, dancing before me on the screen. She had short purple hair, somewhat curly at the back with light purple eyes. Her pupils were shaped like stars rather than ovals, and wore what could only be called a cross between a butler uniform and a casino bunny outfit. The lower half of the attire was professional enough, with black pants with a tailcoat and heels, whereas the upper half exposed a fair amount of her cleavage, making it hard for me to stare at her lower half and face. True to his observation, she wore black bunny ears atop her head, and had the widest smile I had seen.

"Hi~"

The navigator gave me a wink, spinning around on her heel while speaking in a cheery voice.

"Welcome to Nicaea, your one stop shop for scenes of death! Oooh~ scary! I'm Tico-Tico, your adorable guide! But yo can call me Tico!"

...I should have chosen the male navigator. Her presence was insufferable, no matter how cute she looked.

"On this website, you'll get videos of the friends you're tied to by fate. So not just random shmoes you meet, but people you get to know like, rilly, rilly well. We'll show you ahead of time when they end up all dead ans stuff, bummer! You get exactly how they get to croak from the movies we upload to the site."

At this, a small screen popped up next to her, which she held as if she were holding up an object. It showed a censored body, lying in a messy red pool below them, staining the concrete. How morbid.

"I'll keep you in the loop when new videos are uploaded, so be sure to check 'em out!"

With that, the screen vanished, and she gave me another wide wink, spinning around. However, her tail coat grew in size as she did a twirl jump, the tail coat extending out and latching itself to the unseen ground below her while she stuck her tongue out in a playful manner.

"Okay then! Have a nice wheeeee~!"

With that, Tico disappeared, and my phone returned to normal.

I wonder if its possible for me to change navigators, though...

"O-oh, pardon me."

A timid voice called out, gently shoving me from my thoughts. I looked up from my phone.

It was a school girl, evident by her uniform. A gray blazer with a blue-and-white stripped bow, a small black skirt, and dark shoes with white knee-high socks. Over that, a bright red coat. Now that I think about it, it was rather chilly. Her face was quite cute, with a shy look and soft brown eyes, matching her bob-cut hair that came down to the chin.

Why was she approaching me? I didn't know her, so I don't think she is an acquantence...unless, perhaps, the theory that I am in this world's Hakuno's body is true.

"Are you...alright? You've been standing there w-with this really intense look on your face."

Intense look? Was I that absorbed in Nicaea?

At least it wasn't because she knew me. Regardless, I gave a small nod of thanks, assuring her everything was fine. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed there was a boy wearing a similar uniform as the girl's, staring at the two of us intently. Or, rather, it would be more accurate to say that he was staring at the girl in front of me. He wore the blazer open, revealing the black dress shirt, gray dress pants, and had a yellow scarf around his neck. I couldn't quite make out his face, but I could make out his brown hair.

I could see why he was staring at her. After all, it was rather hard to ignore such a robust figure, after all...though I must wonder how she deals with the back pain?

"O-okay. S-sorry for interrupting."

The girl apologized to me once again. She appeared to be the push-over type who agrees with everyone as to not avoid conflict. I was familiar with the type. I believe I was like that at some point myself, at first unaware of the virtual hell I was living in.

She tapped her feet against the floor awkwardly, perhaps unsure of what she was to do next. She looked as if she had more to say, but couldn't find the right way to say it.

I asked, "Is there anything else?"

She seemed a bit startled. The girl bit her lip, once more unsure before shaking her head.

"N-no... It's fine. I-I'm sorry for disturbing you."

She began to pull away, whatever words she wished to speak remaining unsaid. Somehow, I felt a bit disappointed that she did not speak what she had wanted, her shyness shackling her. I'm not sure what possessed me to open my mouth,

"Hakuno."

"E-eh?"

"That's my name. Hakuno Kishinami. You?"

"I-Io. Io Nitta."

Io Nitta...wasn't the name "Io" also the name of Hera's priestess in Greek mythology? In star terms, I believe it was associated with the Taurus Zodiac sign as well.

Either way, the greeting had helped Io somewhat, as she smiled softly. It was warm and gentle, enough to make a man's heart melt.

How beautiful. I vaguely remember Saber offering such a smile a few times.

 _'Saber...'_

That's right...I had nearly forgotten. I had left her behind as I went inside SERAPH once we had been named the Winners of the Holy Grail War. What had become of her? Had she vanished, soon to be summoned again in the next War of the Moon Cell? Or did she yet remain, waiting for me to return? Thinking of her pained me...more than I would want to.

Saber...if only you were here at my side.

 ***ring ring***

The ringing of two phones brought my attention. My cell had vibrated in my hand, while Io had dug her hand into her red coat's pocket, taking out a bright pink cellphone of her own.

We received a message at the same time?

Io seemed to share a similar expression, looking at me and then back at her phone.

I looked at the message.

 **TO:** Hakuno Kishinami  
 **FROM:** Nicaea  
 **SUBJECT:** Io Nitta Death Video

What?

Io Nitta...Death Video? Was this some kind of joke? If so, its not very funny. More importantly, how did they know I met Nitta? I looked up at Io, and to my confusion, her face was in horror, clearly shaken.

"Nitta?"

I called to her, startling her a bit. She looked at me, and then back at her phone. What had she seen? I looked back to my own phone. There was an attachment.

I remembered what Tico had told me when I made my already regrettable decision to choose a female navigator.

 _'On this website, you'll get videos of the friends you're tied to by fate. So not just random shmoes you meet, but people you get to know like, rilly, rilly well.'_

Was this...what she meant?

Hesitantly, I opened the link.

.

.

 ** _A station left to crumble._**

 ** _Debris falling from above, crushing any unfortunate to be caught in the raining stone._**

 ** _A train at full speed, barrelling forward, soon crashing and coming to a stop._**

 ** _Cars raised overhead, shadow bearing down on a girl in a red coat and a boy in a plaid jacket._**

 ** _Then the car falls atop them..._**

.

.

...I was left speechless.

The video showed not only myself...but other people dying as well. Trapped or smashed into bloody bits of broken bones and torn flesh by the falling debris, and two familiar people - myself and Nitta - being crushed by a falling train.

Could this be...what Nitta saw?

"...did you get a death video?"

My voice surprised her, elicting a small 'eep' of shock. She nodded, confirming my suspicions. It was unusual to receive texts at the same time as another person, but perhaps not unheard of. Nitta must have signed up before I had. I didn't care for the reasons, but I was more concerned about the video itself.

The place where the video is taking place...it was the station we were in.

Was that coincidence? Or...

 ***ding ding***

The PA system sparked to life, signalling the arrival of the train. This only made the unease in me grow. I shouldn't worry so much about things like this, yet I can't shake this feeling that something is about to happen. Somehow, I knew something was about to happen.

This atmosphere...it was the same as before. When I first encountered Leo at that hallway, before I had become a Master.

That was when it happened.

Without warning, the ground began to shake. The quivering of the earth around us nearly made me lose my balance. Nitta's body swayed, losing her footing and falling towards me. On instinct, I wrap my arms around her, steadying her.

After a few seconds, the shaking became more violent. I heard the squealing of metal: the approach of the train at full speed without slowing down whatsoever. Around us, the platform began to crack and break apart, fractures running along the walls and ceiling. Some parts already gave way, collapsing and crashing to the ground. People were thrown into utter disorder, clamboring to try and escape.

I held Nitta closely, trying to move. The cracking noise above me made me look up, seeing the ceiling starting to lean down towards us.

"Shit!"

I had no choice but to throw us both away before part of the ceiling collapsed into debris, crushing down on the spot where we once stood. My back hit the floor while Nitta rested atop me. There was something soft pressing up against my chest. Something incredibly warm and pleasurable.

Was now really a time for my libido to start fantasizing?

Nitta was kind enough to get off of me, allowing me to sit up right. Unfortunately, the train was growing closer. We tried to stand and escape, but the shaking made it impossible. How anyone could possibly run while the floor beneath them was trembling like mad was beyond me.

A powerful gust of wind blew across my back, accompanied by the horrible screeching of metal grind against metal, along with loud creaking moans. A shadow was cast above us.

Dread filled me as I slowly turned, seeing Nitta's horrified and trembling expression. A pair of train cars were hoisted above us at an angle, hovering above us with the temptation of death. For a moment, some unseen force was keeping it up before gravity had pulled it away, and the train car descended upon us both.

"Kyaaaah!"

Nitta cries were the only things I heard as I shut my eyes, not wishing to see the end.

Was this...really it?

Was I...going to die here?

...

...

...

...

...

...ha.

Hahaha...

Seriously? After all of that trouble...after the Anguished One brought me here for some unknown purpose that I knew nothing about how to go about...I was...

...going to die?

This was...

"Hey~!"

Though my eyes were shut, I heard a familiar, cheery voice call out to me.

Shouldn't the train car have fallen on me and Nitta by now?

"It's Tico-Tico! Knock, knock... You up?"

How was she speaking to me? Wait, was this limbo? Was this life flashing before my eyes? Yet, I see nothing. Just the blackness of my eyelids, obscuring my awaiting death from me.

"So...yeah, this is how you're gonna die."

...that was awfully blunt.

"If you still wanna live, that "demon summoning app" is gonna be a big help! At least...that's what I'd usually say, but His Excellency wanted to give you something extra special!"

Demon Summoning App? His...Excellency?

Could she be referring to...

"What'cha gonna do? Are you gonna give up?"

Give...up?

Wouldn't that really be the better option? After all, I was supposed to die back at the Moon Cell...

...yet the Anguished One offered me a chance to live again. He had given me a purpose.

Show the will of the stars human potential, if I recall.

How do I show this will human potential? Just what sort of potential did humans have that garnered such interest from the Anguished One? What made him give this task to me?

As I thought this...an image of someone precious to me flashed in my mind.

Her elegant red dress, flapping against the blowing winds with a proud smile on her face, emerald eyes staring at her opponent without fear. In hand, a red sword, ready to strike.

That's right...she's still waiting for me, right? Back there, in the Moon Cell...

Saber...Nero...I...

...I don't want to die here. I want to see you again. I want to hold you in my arms, if only one more time.

I want to be together with you, if only for a few seconds.

"I...want to..."

Yes...I remember now...the answer to the question the Anguished One asked of me at the Moon Cell before, as I was being deleted.

"I want..."

If dying was to be my Fate...

"I want...!"

...then I will _break_ this unfair Fate of mine!

"I want to live!"

My answer had brought forth a jubilant, excited answer.

"Alright! You've got a super-duper strong will to live. I just had to check! Well, good luck!"

In that moment, I finally realized why the train had not fallen upon us. This sensation...it felt as if time had stopped.

As Tico's voice faded, I felt something swell inside of me. A familiar, burning sensation encroached itself upon my hand, a pleasant and fierce warmth enveloping it.

Then, time resumed.

* * *

 _She waited._

 _She waited, and waited._

 _Waiting just outside, waiting for him to return to her._

 _Her Master...her beloved, wonderful Master._

 _She was unsure how long had passed. Seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months...it felt like an eternity as she waited for him._

 _It took all of her willpower not to charge forth and enter. He had all but assured her that everything would be fine, in spite of her doubts._

 _"How much longer do you intend to make me wait?"_

 _She asked the question, yet expected no response. She was the only person standing here, awaiting her master to return to her. Her eyes trained on the entrance, the place where he had disappeared and had yet to return to her side._

 _The soft beating in her heart had reminded her, at every opportunity, just how important that otherwise dull-looking man meant to her, yet in spite of such an accurate and apt description, she felt that the word was insulting. There was nothing "average" about her Master._

 _After all, would such an "average" man call upon her to be his Servant? Would such an "average" man stand against the odds and emerge victorious in the Moon Cell Grail War?_

 _Yes...she knew it to be true. Her Master was not so dull. He was...perfect._

 _Yet, still, he did not return to her._

 _Then, as she waited still, eyes lingering, she felt the world around her ripple. A sensation made itself known in her heart, resounding through her very being. Her eyes widened, looking up at the vast sky above them._

 _"T-this..."_

 _She knew this feeling. She had felt it many times before, when her Master came to be in doubt. The first time she had felt this was when Rider's Master - Shinji Matou, had broken down into data and died right then and there after his defeat, right before the eyes of her Master._

 _The feeling of utter terror and grief. However, there was a new feeling present. A feeling that was otherwise unknown to her, yet at the same time, familiar._

 _The feeling of a powerful resolution. That, too, was a feeling she knew well, despite having felt it only twice. The same feeling her Master bore when he called upon her._

 _Her power fluctuated, becoming a golden aura that danced around her being. Around her, the Moon Cell began to break apart. An unknown force was calling out to the Servant. A force that could not comprehend, nor understand._

 _Yet the Servant understood well what was happening._

 _Her Master was calling to her._

 _And thus, she responded._

 _"Praetor!"_

* * *

-The Beginning of the End: COMPLETE-


	2. Chapter 2

_Olly: Okay, let's see here...seven reviews, 25 favorites, 35 follows-wait, what?! What magic is this?!_

 _Demon: Huh...didn't expect that kind of reaction. I guess this story is getting people's attention. Usually, most Megami Tensei crossover don't tend to workout. Then again, we're just getting started!_

 _Olly: Guess so. Oh, right! Hello~ everybody, my name is Olly!_

 _Demon: And I need no introduction._

 _Olly: And this is our collab work, Fate/Breaker! The story of Hakuno Kishinami as he undergoes the trials of Devil Survivor 2!_

 _Demon: And in case you have yet to notice, Hakuno is taking Hibiki's place in the game._

 _Olly: We debated whether or not we would actually have Hakuno in the Devil Survivor game, but given the similarities between the setting and plot with the series of Fate, we went for DeSu2._

 _Demon: At any rate, its time to start the chapter! We'll be answering reviews at the end!_

 _Olly: Yosha! Ikuze ikuze ikuze!_

 _Demon: ..._

 _Olly: ..._

 _Demon: ...Olly._

 _Olly: Yeah?_

 _Demon: NEVER do a Momontaros again. This is Fate and SMT, not Kamen Rider.  
_

 _Olly: Aw..._

* * *

 **She waited.**

 **She waited, and waited.**

 **Waiting just outside, waiting for him to return to her.**

 **Her Master...her beloved, wonderful Master.**

 **She was unsure how long had passed. Seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months...it felt like an eternity as she waited for him.**

 **It took all of her willpower not to charge forth and enter. He had all but assured her that everything would be fine, in spite of her doubts.**

 **"How much longer do you intend to make me wait?"**

 **She asked the question, yet expected no response. She was the only person standing here, awaiting her master to return to her. Her eyes trained on the entrance, the place where he had disappeared and had yet to return to her side.**

 **The soft beating in her heart had reminded her, at every opportunity, just how important that otherwise dull-looking man meant to her, yet in spite of such an accurate and apt description, she felt that the word was insulting. There was nothing "average" about her Master.**

 **After all, would such an "average" man call upon her to be his Servant? Would such an "average" man stand against the odds and emerge victorious in the Moon Cell Grail War?**

 **Yes...she knew it to be true. Her Master was not so dull. He was...perfect.**

 **Yet, still, he did not return to her.**

 **Then, as she waited still, eyes lingering, she felt the world around her ripple. A sensation made itself known in her heart, resounding through her very being. Her eyes widened, looking up at the vast sky above them.**

 **"T-this..."**

 **She knew this feeling. She had felt it many times before, when her Master came to be in doubt. The first time she had felt this was when Rider's Master - Shinji Matou, had broken down into data and died right then and there after his defeat, right before the eyes of her Master.**

 **The feeling of utter terror and grief. However, there was a new feeling present. A feeling that was otherwise unknown to her, yet at the same time, familiar.**

 **The feeling of a powerful resolution. That, too, was a feeling she knew well, despite having felt it only twice. The same feeling her Master bore when he called upon her.**

 **Her power fluctuated, becoming a golden aura that danced around her being. Around her, the Moon Cell began to break apart. An unknown force was calling out to the Servant. A force that could not comprehend, nor understand.**

 **Yet the Servant understood well what was happening.**

 **Her Master was calling to her.**

 **And thus, she responded.**

 **"Praetor!"**

* * *

 _Fate/Breaker_

* * *

 **1st Day: Melancholy of Sunday**

* * *

Chapter 2  


Once again, I was greeted by the darkness of unconsciousness. A black void that welcomed all, uncaring of gender or social standing. Unlike my other visits to this already familiar place, my head ached and throbbed.

My memories were in a bit of a blur. Okay...I need to remember. What was I doing? I was in Tokyo, either in the body of this world's Hakuno Kishinami or in a body that the Anguished One made from scratch. I am still unsure on that last one, but that wasn't important right now. I had signed up for a site called Nicaea, met a girl named Nitta, and...

...that's right. The both of us received a Death Video. Then the events had begun to pass. A train had gone awry, crashing into the platform as an earthquake began to disrupt the world around us before one of the cars began to descend on us both.

Hm, strange...if this is death, it is most certainly bland. And I do not think that one would receive a headache if one is dying, so perhaps that is not the case. Also, I am too accustomed to being in this black space by now.

Eventually, a sense of feeling was beginning to return to me. My body was aching uncomfortably, feeling several spots along my back that felt as if something something hard, sharp and pointy were digging into the flesh. I felt a cold dampness against my skin, and the presence of two people around me.

My eyes opened, and staring at me was a face unfamiliar - male with a plain look about him and dark brown eyes. As soon as he saw me regain consciousness, he turned and shouted,

"I-Io! He's waking up!"

Soon after, Nitta came up to me, her beautiful face marred with anxiety.

"A-are you okay, Hakuno?"

I gave a nod as he sat up, groaning and palming my temple. I felt something wet along the left side of my forehead. Looking at my hand, I saw that a bit of my fingers were stained in crimson.

...well, that explains why my head hurts right now.

I looked at our surroundings. The platform was now in utter ruins. The train could be found not too far, left disheveled among the giant piles of debris. The front of the train was lost in a giant pile of rubble, and the rest of the train was disjointed and mangled, steel wires and bits of metal poking out like remains. Pouring out from the windows, hanging limply, were the corpses of the passengers, blood flowing down and staining the white steel red. Beneath, many were crushed, evident by the outstretched limbs or lower and upper halves of bodies exposed. Many people were crushed by the falling debris, as I noticed similar sights around us.

In short, it was a scene that would make a weak stomach lurch and wish for one to vomit. A feeling I was beginning to understand.

Blood could not be replicated in the Moon Cell. In the digital world, you were made up of pixels and polygons composed of spiritual energy. It would not be wrong to call the events that transpired in the Moon Cell to be a simulation, as defeat meant death in the Grail War. Yet death came in the form of deletion.

What was laid before before me was death, revealed in all of its glory, taunting and glaring at me like a cruel mistress.

"...this is horrible."

I had not realized I had spoken until Nitta replied,

"It is...all of those poor people."

Nitta's face was set in utter sadness. The sight of death was truly horrific to her. Then again, who would not blanch at such a sight?

"I-I think we should get out of here. Those things could come back any minute!"

The boy urged us both, shifting around as if expecting something to appear at any moment. I frowned. 'Those things?' What was he referring to? More importantly...

"...who are you?"

"O-oh, right."

Nitta realized I knew nothing of the boy, and quickly explained,

"This is Daichi Shijima. He goes to the same school as me."

I had figured the last part out simply by the uniform, but regardless, I nodded in accepting the information. Shijima offered his hand, which I grasped. His grip was somewhat weak, but had a surprisingly rough hand as he hoisted me to my feet.

"What did you mean by 'things?'"

"You weren't wake when it happened..."

Shijima grimaced as he looked at his phone. For some reason, his face looked as if he had seen something utterly terrifying. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Nitta shared a similar look.

"When we came to, there were these...things, I...I don't know how to explain it. L-look, let's get out of here! I REALLY don't want to be here when they come back!"

I would have pressed further, but he was clearly shaken. His fear was not unfounded. Even now, I felt something cold in the air.

This feeling...its more primal than what I am used to, as if it was radiated in the most rawest form ever.

 _Killing intent._

As a Master in the Moon Cell Grail War, I was not unfamiliar with such a feeling, and the worst of such an intense feeling I've felt was when I encountered Run Ru and her Lancer.

Even now, the chilling memory of Saber clashing her sword against the many spears of Vlad Tepesh, the Impaler Prince, haunted me with that horrid look of insanity clear in his mind.

However, the killing intent that flooded our systems was far more potent, more primal and raw, compared to the insanity that Vlad demonstrated. Needless to say, I agreed with Shijima. The three of us took our leave immediately, climbing up the somewhat undamaged steps leading up to surface level.

* * *

Tokyo had been utter demolished.

The pavement was fractured and cracked, leaving barely any of the streets untouched with cracks. Cars were broken mangled messes of metal, one found nearby, turned on its head with the passenger side door torn off the hinges. One of the buildings was shattered, barely left standing while flames seeped out from the many open, gaping holes in its structure. The largest building, the Q-Tron if memory serves, fared slightly better.

Shijima and Nitta stood before the sight, left in utter shock and horror. "Troubled" wouldn't be the best way to describe how I felt. For such damage to be possible...was this really because of an earthquake?

"N-no way...one earthquake did all of this?"

Shijima gaped, unable to process what he was seeing. To me, I was left stunned and perhaps a bit worried, but otherwise the sight did not provoke much in me. To the two students at my side, however, it was understandable why they would feel this way. Tokyo was their home, and to see it in mere shambles is...less than disconcerting.

I noticed a flickering light in the display televisions on a few of the buildings. Nitta noticed this as well, directing our attention to them. Eventually, the screens filled with life, showing what appeared to be a news broadcast.

"We interrupt our regularly scheduled program for an urgent news bulletin. At approximately 11:00 A.M, a large-scale calamity, reportedly a vertical shock quake, hit the Tokyo area. Details are scarce, but massive casualties have been reported in the city. Once again, at approximately 11:00 A.M-"

The news broadcast ended abruptly, turning into distorted static. As it did, anxiety began to spread amongst the nearby pedestrians around us.

"Hey, turn the news back on!"

"Honestly, media in this country can't do a damn thing right!"

Such responses were beginning to become more and more common. Such behavior was a bit lost to me, if only because such mass anxiety was foreign. There were only barely a few hundred people inside the school within the Moon Cell, and most of them were NPC's. They didn't have set routines where they would be set into utter panic. Two Servants would duke it out in the hallway, and they'd simply casual stroll into the middle of it and die with the same expression.

I had to remind myself that this was not a digital world...this was the real world.

This was reality...the true world I was born in.

 _...how utterly frightening._

"I'm not getting any cell service. The TV app isn't working either..."

Shijima said as he fiddled with his phone. Nitta shared a similar reaction as she looked at her cell, trying to contact her family. I looked at my own cell, and found that the reception bar was marked with an "x," showing that I was in an area without any service.

"I... I need to get in touch with my parents... What should I do?"

Unfortunately, I didn't have an answer for her. Shijima called out in concern when Nitta ran into the crowd, though a few moments later she returned, face dejected.

"No use... The public phones are dead, too. And a cab driver told me his radio was out."

That was...odd. It was one thing for a blackout, as I saw no sort of electricity - at least from what I could tell - running through the city at the moment. It would explain why the display had also gone dark...but for phones and radios to be out of commission as well?

"It's still here..."

I looked at Shijima, who muttered as he stared at his phone. Noticing my look, he showed me what was displayed on his phone.

"Demon Summoning Application."

...what in the world?

"This thing showed up when those monsters popped out of nowhere," he explained to me. "T-they looked like some kind of werewolf monster holding pipes. They saw me and Io, a-and I thought we were gonna die... Next thing I know, this apps showed up, and another monster showed up! It was like a tiny ghost!"

I examined the app curiously. Tico had mentioned something about that before, along with something else. Someone called "His Excellency," who wanted to give to me something special. Something different from this "Demon Summoning App."

I had an inkling suspicion who this "Excellency" was.

"T-this is crazy. Everyone knows that demons don't exist. They just don't!"

The school boy had tried to deny what he had seen, yet as I was not conscious for that event, I could not offer him any words to tell him otherwise. What he believed was his own business. However, as someone who fought alongside, and against, those who were once proud heroes from history made real by the power of SERAPH, I could believe that these "demons" existed. Curious, I looked at my own cell phone, wondering if the app was also installed. The icon for the app was a small head with devilish, pointed ears, so it wasn't hard to miss.

However, it was not there. Instead, in that little demon's head's place was a dark blue icon resembling a square. Inside it was a moon with a nine-square grid over the heavenly body.

Strange. Was it a variation...or was it the "special" thing that Tico mentioned? I tried to open it, but to my disappointment, it was still in the process of downloading itself. Currently, it was 40% done, and counting.

Just what was this?

"You three, may I speak with you?"

A mature, feminine voice called out from behind us. I turned and found a tall woman, easily 5'8" ft, standing there with a stern expression. If I were to make a comparison, she looked to be a more mature, yet frigid version of Rin's own face. She had dark blue hair, with the back coming down to her shoulders. Her attire was akin to that of a military uniform: a black top with an insignia called "JPs," a yellow skirt, and white thigh-length boots. Her blue eyes were smoldering, bearing a look that befitted a tested soldier.

Nitta and Shijima were startled by her sudden appearance. Had I not been so used to people sneaking up on me, I would have done the same.

"Can we help you?"

I kept my voice polite and calm. If she was like Rin, then it would be best to stay on her nice side. There was also this feeling of strict iron around her as well, as her gaze was much like that of a hawk, looking at me for anything even remotely out of place.

"You came up from the subway, right? What's the situation down there?"

The way she phrased her words confirmed my thoughts. Perhaps the government was already taking the initiative? If so, it was an unusually fast response, even if this supposed shock quake hit Tokyo hard.

"Th-the situation?"

Shijima stuttered.

"Well, the train crashed."

"I am aware of the accident. Was there something else?"

Before Shijima could open his mouth, I stopped him, giving him a look that more or less told him to stay quiet. Her words struck a cord with me. Why would she say, 'something else?' According to Shijima, wolf-like creatures wielding pipes appeared and tried to attack them, and from his phone came an unusual creature resembling a small ghost. Unless she was referring to something else, those creatures - the demons - were the only things she could be speaking of.

If she was aware of that...then that only raised alarms.

"I didn't see anything out of the ordinary. When the train crashed, I was knocked out cold. Nitta and Shijima were kind enough to look after me during that time."

As proof, I parted my hair to reveal the small head injury I received. Shijima and Nitta were quick enough to support my claims, realizing why I was being cautious. The woman looked partially satisfied, but seemed to be otherwise unconvinced. However, she let the matter dropped, and thanked us for our time. With that, she walked away brisquely, joining a group up ahead, wearing yellow tops with black ties and pants, a similar logo branded on their shirts.

I wonder what "JPs" stands for.

* * *

After a bit of talking, it was decided that we would escort Nitta home. She lived in Ariake, which according to Shijima was a bit far, but manageable. From there, we tried to go about various routes while gathering information. The police and the SDF were trying to control the already terrified masses, but the people were otherwise too rattled or angry to listen to the words of warning. Understandable, since information is limited. Info is key to keeping a populace in check, that much I knew.

We also came across a few shelters. Though it was only a handful, we learned that the majority were full to the brin

We tried various means to reach Ariake, though many of the roads were blocked either by word of demons appearing around there, or fire and smoke signaled debris. It was frustration, but we eventually decided to reach it by passing through Roppongi. Along the way, we passed into Nagata-cho, coming across a man dressed in a pinstripe suit and flat cap with rectangular-framed glasses and a friendly smile.

As we walked past one another, he paused and turned towards me.

"Hey, have we met?"

...okay, that came out of nowhere. Unless, of course, he's an acquaintance of this world's Hakuno. I'm still confused on the matter of whether or not this is a brand new body or a parallel version of me. Regardless, I answered him in earnest.

"I'm afraid not."

"You sure?"

The listless man asked, tilting his head before he cracked a smile.

"Oh! I got it! From far away you remind me of my cousin. That makes sense," He then sighed. "I'm in a bind, though... All the shelters are full. I'm sure a rescue's coming, but they're taking their sweet time."

I was doubting whether or not rescue was even still a thing at this point. The police were directing traffic, and the fire department was doing their best to minimize the damages, but so far, no actual attempt to investigate the matters or actual plans to start clearing away debris for survivors has been done. Either the man was right and they were taking their time, or they had no actual plans to save them.

The man then focused back to me, making an inquiry,

"You probably got a full set of your own problems, eh?"

"It hasn't been an easy day."

"Tell me about it. Who coulda predicted all this, am I right?" A moment later, he grinned. "Make sure you stay careful. These earthquakes are nothing to sneeze at!"

He bid us goodbye, walking away in a leisurely manner.

Hm...for a moment, I was reminded of Shinji's Servant, Rider. Easy-going, but lacking the boisterous and wild attitude the famed Spanish Devil had in spades. I wonder how he would look in a pirate outfit?

Shijima, however, looked baffled.

"What was that about...? That dude was mellow in every sense of the word."

"Quite laid-back for being in a disaster zone."

I had to agree with Nitta on that one. Even if the world was beginning to come to an end, I'm sure all the man would do was whistle and walk down the streets, smile at the ready.

At any rate, we made the decision to leave and continue on.

* * *

"Phew! I'm tired. Hold on, let's stop for a sec!"

When we hit the 99 Plaza at Roppongi, Shijima had finally given up, his legs unable to take the long venture. I was able to understand the feeling, as my feet were screaming at me for a reprieve. I also felt slight exhaustion, which was something of a new feeling for me, given that I had not experienced this before back at the Moon Cell. Yeesh, what a troublesome body I have.

Regardless, I joined my new friend and sat down on a bench, enjoying the moment of reprieve. It seems like it'll take some getting used to this body. Even now, I keep forgetting that this is Earth, not the Moon Cell. If I continue to treat this as the virtual world, I'm sure to pay for my ignorance.

I'm also confused about what the Anguished One brought me here to achieve. This "will of the stars" he spoke of...it sounded a great deal like Gaia and Alaya.

In the records I viewed while inside SERAPH, Gaia was the living entity of a world itself. In this case, the consciousness of Earth itself. In contrast, Alaya, or rather Alayashiki, represented the conciousness of human will. To be more specific, the will to survive. For this reason, she had the Counter Guardians contracted to her, and should any threat to human survival arise, it would be her warriors that would deal with them. This "will of the star" must have been like Alaya and Gaia...or perhaps even like the Type Moon and Type Mercury.

Regardless, if I was to make any progress, I needed to know exactly who or what this "will of the stars" is.

"A-are the two of you okay?"

Nitta asked the two of us in concern. I was only a bit winded. Give me a moment, and I would be fine. However, I could not say the same for Shijima, who looked ready to pass out. He was breathing somewhat heavily, sweat caking his skin, and looked to be absolutely ragged.

Surely we haven't walked that far. Nitta, being a saint, took out a water bottle for him to drink from, which was already half empty. He looked quite excited when he heard her say that she already drank from it, no doubt comparing it to a indirect kiss. I noticed a group of people not far from us: a party of four. There was a teenage girl accompanying two men and a woman, the latter of which looked utterly exhausted as she could barely take any steps at all, forcing to rely on one of them men.

Supporting one another in troubling times...it brings back memories.

 _Rani..._

Even now, I still remember what she was like. She had lost Berserker, that powerful and monstrous behemoth. The action was still a tough decision to make, with Rin standing against me afterwards. However, at the same time, she was proud to know that I had finally chosen this path: to seek the Grail in earnest.

The first few days, Rani had been unresponsive over the loss of her Servant. However, in time, she and I grew closer. Recalling the time we spent together made me recall how my "core" always seem to burn in a pleasant sensation.

I wonder...could that be love?

Was it even possible for someone like me, who remembered nothing, to feel love?

Or was it a familial bond that I lacked in some capacity? I recall bearing a similar, more fleeting sensation before when I was with Rin prior to our encounters as enemies. Perhaps I merely saw them as sister figures?

...if such is the case, then Rin would be the tsundere-type of sister.

...

...

...

...all of a sudden, I felt a shiver run down my back. A sensation I became used to feeling whenever I had somehow managed to infuriate the woman that was Rin Tohsaka. Even after being deleted, she somehow still haunts me.

And they called me a "ghost in the machine."

After a few more minutes of rest, we decided to get back at it.

No sooner had I stood up did I feel as if I had just been thrown into cold, murky black water.

A shock ran through out my body, feet suddenly unable to move with a terrible sense of dread blanketing me with a deathly grip.

My eyes began to search the area. Something was wrong. There was something here. Something out of place. Something...wrong. Something that did not belong here.

The presence was growing closer with each second. I saw Shijima and Nitta's look of worry, but ignored them.

Where...where was it?!

Where?

And then, the source of this disturbing wrongness appeared in dramatic fashion. It fell straight to the ground, causing the ground to shake.

Momentarily, I lost my balance. I nearly fell flat on my rear, but otherwise stood my ground.

My eyes locked on to the source of this disturbing wrongness.

Its form was geometric. At first glance, it resembled some kind of snow cone, with multi-colored strips that made up the "cone" part of its body, while floating above it, directly in the center, was a continuously expanding ball of pink mass.

The group were startled by its appearance, as were the rest of us. However, they didn't see the danger. The being remained still, unmoving while the pink mass was steadily growing, almost like a balloon.

This sense of dread I felt...it continued to grow the longer I watched the being.

The others couldn't see it...but for some inexplicable reason, I could.

I saw it, plain as day. The air around it was warped and twisted, as if the world could not understand or comprehend what such a creature was. Whatever this odd being, it existed beyond the concepts.

Yes, its form was geometric, perhaps the epitome of such mathematic design...but the presence it gave was inhuman. Foreign.

 _Alien._

And somehow, I knew its name.

 **...Dubhe.**

The increasing pink mass reached a critical point, its size now equal to that of a wrecking ball. The pedestrians continued to stare at it in wonder, unaware what was happening.

The air was charged thick with intense heat. It was as if anything that held heat was being sucked of its energy, flowing into the large mass. An orange light seeped out, steadily and steadily before forgoing all pretexts and began to shine madly.

I knew what was about to happen.

"Get down!"

Without warning, I threw myself at the two students, knocking them to the ground. Their bewildered expressions faded when they saw the result of the energy being released all at once.

Intense heat and flames burned where Dubhe stood, the mass exploding into a giant burst of energy.

The pedestrians didn't even have so much as a second to scream when it finally registered what was happening.

As the brilliant, horrific light from the blast faded, we were greeted by the sight of Dubhe, standing amidst a decent-sized crater...

...and surrounding it were four scorch marks, shaped like human beings. The pink mass above it had diminished in size, though it resumed its increase of size.

Nitta looked at Dubhe in horror, unable to comprehend what had just happened. It happened so quickly, I doubt she had a chance to realize what happened.

Shijima, on the other hand, realized quickly what kind of danger. He tried, and failed, to climb back up to his feet, staring at Dubhe in sheer terror.

I knew the feeling. The intent this... _thing_...released...it was enough to remind me of the insanity that was Lancer and his Master, Run Ru.

"Run!"

By the time Dubhe had charged itself up for another explosion, the three of us were back up on our feet and running as swiftly as we possibly could, feet slamming on concrete in panicked frenzy.

As soon as we got out of its range, another explosion rung out behind us, creating a blast of heat that felt nearly unbearable in spite of the cold breeze that was apart of winter.

Could that creature...be this "will of the star" the Anguished One referred to?

* * *

In our panic to flee, we had somehow gotten separated. Nitta had found me, slightly breathless. She looked relieved to see me, but then noticed Shijima's absence.

He had no doubt taken a different path.

To be perfectly frank, it is a miracle that we are even alive. Had we not fled earlier, we would have no doubt been killed by Dubhe.

I was still troubled by how I knew its name when it was the first time I had encountered such a creature, especially one that not even this parallel world's Gaia could not comprehend.

Gaia was an entity that was, without question, the living embodiment of the Earth itself. It had been at odds with Alayashiki ever since the Age of Gods had come to an end, and in my own world, Gaia was either already a corpse or in her death throes. Here, it was still very much alive...and it was not capable of understanding or comprehending Dubhe's existence.

It was more like...Gaia was rejecting it.

 _That_ frightened me.

When Gaia rejects a being, and it somehow remains in this world, that alone spells trouble.

For the time being, we had escaped...yet something told me that we would encounter it again sometime in the future.

However, that said, we should be looking for Shijima. The last thing I need on my conscious is knowing that Shijima is out there with Dubhe, and whatever sort of entity it was, it made itself perfectly clear.

Humans were an existence that must be eliminated. That was the feeling I gleamed from it.

"I hope Daichi is okay..."

I heard Nitta mumble softly, clearly worried.

From what I understood, Shijima and Nitta were students at the same school, yet were only vaguely aware of each other...at least on one side of the spectrum. Nitta only seemed to know Shijima in passing, whereas the school boy was overly infatuated with her. It was akin to puppy dog love, if I was being honest.

Regardless, I shared the same sentiments.

...now that I think about it, this situation brings up old memories of when I first entered the Grail War without any real idea of what was waiting for me. Surrounded by strangers like Rani and Rin, both of whom were willing to help me in some way.

Once more, I found myself thinking about Rani. Was she doing okay? Was she with Saber, waiting for me as well? Was she trying to "salvage" me still?

The more I think about it...the more I yearn to see them again.

Rani...Saber...I promise. When this is over, I-

 ***ring ring***

The synchronized chime of both mine and Nitta's cells caused us both to look at our phones, startled.

The last time this happened was back when we...

Oh no...

Please, don't be what I think it is. We shouldn't even be receiving e-mails if our reception is dead.

With a shaking hand, I opened the message box, finding a new message from Nicaea with an attachment.

 **TO:** Hakuno Kishinami **  
FROM:** Nicaea **  
SUBJECT:** Daichi Shijima Death Video

.

 _ **A shaken boy is left helpless at a desecrated shrine.**_

 _ **Fearsome wolves, standing on legs and wielding clubs, stand on either side of a maiden in white, who looks down upon him with a hidden smile.**_

 _ **Around her, a cold frigid presence freezes the ground beneath her.**_

 _ **The boy tries to escape, but fear prevents him.**_

 _ **The maiden leans forward, cupping his face and kissing him on the lips.**_

 _ **It is a kiss of death...for soon after, his body becomes a sculpture of ice.**_

.

It was the same as before...

Only this time, it would be Shijima that would find his life in death's hands.

If it wasn't Dubhe, it was a woman in white, dressed like some sort of shrine maiden.

"D-Daichi...is going to die?"

Nitta was understandably shaken. Though she had not known Shijima for long, he was still sticking with her.

This video was just like the one with Nitta. If this was anything like hers, then...

...then it could be prevented.

That's right...we didn't die. Somehow, we survived.

My mind races back to what Shijima told me. Somehow, a ghost-like being emerged from his phone and fought off wolf-like monsters, no doubt the ones in the death video. If such is the case...would that mean the ghost was what saved him, and possibly us? Nitta had mentioned before she had this demon summoning app installed on her phone as well, so perhaps the "demon" in her phone had saved us as well.

If that is the case...then our Fate had been averted.

"Nitta, where is this shrine?"

My question startled her, though it appeared she understood my intent. That's right...if we were able to prevent our deaths in the subway, it was possible to prevent Shijima's death.

"I-it's the Sensouji Shrine in Asakusa!"

"Then let's go!"

We both hurried away, hoping to reach Shijima in time. I looked back at my phone, looking at the progress of the mysterious app that was downloading.

It was now at 90%.

I couldn't help but wonder what this app would do. Would it be like the demon summoning app that Nitta and Shijima possessed?

Regardless...I could only hope it would allow us to fight whatever was waiting for us at Sensouji Shrine.

Hold on, Shijima...we're coming!

* * *

-Rehearsal: END-

* * *

Taiga's Dojo!

Taiga: Yaaaahoooo! Welcome, everybody, to my dojo! It is a pleasure to see you all again! I am your host, Taiga Fujimura!

Illya: And I am her wonderful assistant, Illya von Einzbern!

Hibiki: ...is there a reason I'm here?

Taiga: But of course! You're the protagonist of Devil Survivor 2, aren't you?

Hibiki: W-well, yeah, but-

Taiga: Then its fine! Don't worry about it! In the meantime, we're here to answer the questions that guests and reviewers have asked the authors!

Illya: Would you care to do the honors, Hibiki-san?

Hibiki: I...guess? *takes envelop and opens it* Okay...the first one is from **DarkLord98**. He apparently wants more action from male Hakuno (wait, he's a gender-based protagonist?) and asked if Hakuno will be able to summon other Servants other than Nero, or restricted to Nero. He's also curious if Hakuno will have the Demon Summoning Program.

Taiga: Nope! Hakuno will be able to summon other Heroic Spirits, or Legendary Souls as they're called in Fate/Extra, other than Nero. As for the demon summoning program, that's being replaced by something that will appear next chapter!

Illya: Speaking of which...why'd the authors use Fate/Extra Hakuno and not one of the two Hakunos from Fate/Extella?

Taiga: Well, due to **[SPOILERS!]** the authors thought it would be best to use the Hakuno from the first game, rather than his Fate/Extella version.

Illya: Aw...does that mean best wife won't show up?

Taiga: Which one? Doesn't he have three?

Hibiki: EH?!

Illya: I mean Altera!

Taiga: OH! Well, she is scheduled to make an appearance in the Triangulum Arc, but I don't know if it'll be the one from Fate/Extella.

Illya: Phoey. Hibiki-san, next question!

Hibiki: O-Oh, right...next one is from **Bunny153539**. They're asking if Hakuno will summon other Servants, like Archer and Tamamo.

Illya: He better! I wanna see Onii-chan kick demon butt here! Show 'em why Nasuverse trumps SMT-verse!

Taiga: Oh, you poor girl...you obviously don't know how ridiculously powerful SMT verse is. True, a lot of characters in Fate who can beat the crap out of gods...but the guys from SMT do it on a daily basis! And most of the baddies they fight can destroy planets and entire universes! You know, like the Demi-fiend from Nocturne who killed Kagutsuchi and ended "time!"

Illya: ...eh?

Taiga: And then, of course, there's Hibiki here, who becomes freaking god in one of the endings in the Triangulum Arc.

Illya: Eh?!

Hibiki: *scratches cheek in embarrassment*

Taiga: And doesn't that Nanashi kid from Apocalypse kill GOD himself in both endings of the game?

Hibiki: He also replaces god in the Massacre ending too.

Illya: EH?!

Taiga: So, you see, my assistant...if Hakuno wants to beat what's lined up for him in the story, he's gonna have to work his butt off and be the first Nasuverse character to reach SMT level of badassery!

Hibiki: ...we're getting off topic here. Anyway, to answer your question, Bunny153539, Hakuno will summon Nameless and Tamamo, as well as other familiar Servants from Fate/Extra, and possibly even Fate/Extella...but that's for another time.

Taiga: And that's the end of our Q&A! The next chapter coming up is Nero's entry into the battlefield of Devil Survivor 2! Be sure to like and review, everyone! CHECK IT OUT!

Hibiki: ...um, Miss Fujimura?

Taiga: Yes?

Hibiki: ...Illya isn't moving.


	3. Chapter 3

_Demons: Damn. We nearly forgot about this._

 _Olly: No, you did. Because you're a procrastinating bastard._

 _Demons: Ah, fuck off. Anyway, let's see here... 24 reviews, 2,107 views, 64 Favorites and 93 Follows. Oh, and it's even on a community, too!_

 _Olly: Really? Huh. It's more popular than we thought!_

 _Demons: No kidding. I honestly wasn't expecting it to be so popular. Hopefully some fans are still sticking around. Anyway, you wanna do the usual?_

 _Olly: You know it, cuz~ You already know who we are! I'm Olly!  
_

 _Demons: And I need no introduction._

 _Olly: And we're bringing you back to the world of Fate/Breaker!_

* * *

 _ **It was the same as before...**_

 _ **Only this time, it would be Shijima that would find his life in death's hands.**_

 _ **If it wasn't Dubhe, it was a woman in white, dressed like some sort of shrine maiden.**_

 _ **"D-Daichi...is going to die?"**_

 _ **Nitta was understandably shaken. Though she had not known Shijima for long, he was still sticking with her.**_

 _ **This video was just like the one with Nitta. If this was anything like hers, then...**_

 _ **...then it could be prevented.**_

 _ **That's right...we didn't die. Somehow, we survived.**_

 _ **My mind races back to what Shijima told me. Somehow, a ghost-like being emerged from his phone and fought off wolf-like monsters, no doubt the ones in the death video. If such is the case...would that mean the ghost was what saved him, and possibly us? Nitta had mentioned before she had this demon summoning app installed on her phone as well, so perhaps the "demon" in her phone had saved us as well.**_

 _ **If that is the case...then our Fate had been averted.**_

 _ **"Nitta, where is this shrine?"**_

 _ **My question startled her, though it appeared she understood my intent. That's right...if we were able to prevent our deaths in the subway, it was possible to prevent Shijima's death.**_

 _ **"I-it's the Sensouji Shrine in Asakusa!"**_

 _ **"Then let's go!"**_

 _ **We both hurried away, hoping to reach Shijima in time. I looked back at my phone, looking at the progress of the mysterious app that was downloading.**_

 _ **It was now at 90%.**_

 _ **I couldn't help but wonder what this app would do. Would it be like the demon summoning app that Nitta and Shijima possessed?**_

 _ **Regardless...I could only hope it would allow us to fight whatever was waiting for us at Sensouji Shrine.**_

 _ **Hold on, Shijima...we're coming!**_

* * *

 _Fate/Breaker_

* * *

 **1st Day: Melancholy of Sunday**

* * *

Chapter 3 **  
**

The sun was already setting into the horizon, turning the sky into an orange backdrop.

Reaching Sensouji Shrine was no problem. We had hurried over there as fast as our legs could carry us in search of the missing scarf-wearing teen.

Along the way, we had asked if anyone had seen Shijima, yet to no avail. Niita and me had even come to see how the Japan Self-Defense Force was handling the evacuation process and sheltering the victims of the quake.

It was...as one might expect.

People already close to rioting, not listening to safety instructions...it was madness, and it would spiral out of control unless something happened.

It was a wretched sight for me. It reminded me of the afterthoughts of the Grail War in the Moon Cell...only far worse. The real world was much more unforgiving, more harsh and cold.

I wonder if this was what Twice saw back before he became a virtual ghost in the Moon Cell, seeking to change the world through the advancements made possible by war. In all honesty, I was beginning to understand why he lacked so much faith in humanity, if this is what he saw.

However, I pushed these thoughts to the back of my mind. What was important right now was finding Shijima before he died.

It had not taken us long to reach the Shrine. It was quiet, and there was no sign of the scarf-wearing boy nor the demonic entities that would be the source of his death. The area was utter silence, and our only company was the lamp that hang in the center of the wooden shrine.

"He's not here..." Nitta breathed softly. "Where could he be?"

I looked around. There was no activity. No civilian around to raise concerns. No demons to raise chaos. However, filling the air was a sense of dread. I looked down at the cell phone in my hands. My palms were sweaty, fingers trembling.

It would be a lie to say that I was not terrified. Every part of me was scared for what could happen. This was not the Moon Cell. Saber was not at my side. I was...alone.

It was a dreary thought. I wanted nothing more than to be at her side once again. Even now, the image of her unearthly beauty, garbed in a vibrant red dress with platinum blonde hair complimenting her beautiful green eyes - a fiery blade in hand.

Why couldn't have the Anguished One let me bring her here with me? At the very least, I would have some protection. I still didn't know what the application on my phone was meant to do, either.

"Daichi!" Nitta yelled. "Daichi~! Where are you~?!"

Her voice echoed slightly. For a moment, I had worried that we were too late. Seconds later, I heard whimpers close by. A figure limped into view, bearing a familiar face with skin drenched in sweat. His clothes were slightly burnt, particularly around the left slide.

"I-Io?"

Shijima looked ready to collapse any second as a wide smile of relief fell on his face, falling on a wall as he slid to the floor. Nitta rushed to him in concern, looking him over for any injuries. For the most part, he seemed to be fine. His skin was red with irritation around the left hand, but other than that, he had no major wounds.

For that, I was relieved. While he knew each other for, at best, a measly hour or so, I was still thankful he survived.

"Thank god...I thought I was a goner!"

"I'm happy you're okay, Daichi." Nitta said with a smile, letting out a sigh. However, the tender moment did not last. We both knew it was too dangerous to stay here any longer. "We need to leave, quick! It isn't safe!"

"E-eh?! B-but I'm so exhausted..."

I flipped open my phone, pulling up Shijima's death video. I held it out for him to see. "This is your death clip." I told him. "You're going to die here unless we get out of here."

As the clip played out and came to a quick end, the color in Shijima's face drained. Understanding the threat he was under if he stayed here, he pulled himself up, albeit shakily. Stumbling to maintain his balance, I caught him before he could fall, though he used a hand to keep himself from sinking down to the ground again.

His cell phone, held in the hand that pressed up against the stone monument, then let out a small _beep_ before it glowed, catching our attention.

"Wh-what in the-?!"

The monument became encased in a bright light. We squinted, our eyes trying to adjust to the light as our arms shielded us from its brightness. After a few seconds, the light dimmed down. We lowered our arms and found a startling new sight.

The monument was gone. In its place was some sort of machine, connected to a terminal of some kind. The terminal itself resembling a sphere, bound and encased in bronze-colored metal with rings surrounding it. Given from how they were designed and positions, it seemed as if they could move.

"What is this?"

Out of curiosity, Nitta stepped forward. Her hand inched toward, as if to touch the strange device. Before I could stop her, having seen what comes of such innocent actions, a familiar and sharp voice shouted at us from behind.

"Don't touch that!"

Her finger had just touched the sphere when the warning registered to her, recoiling away in fright.

It was too late. The seal was undone.

The sphere lit up like a Christmas Tree, the rings spinning around wildly while the terminal hummed. A powerful aura charged the air, and waves of power rolled over us. A cold shudder ran down my spine. My breath became hot clouds as a thin film of ice began to slowly cover the area.

The lantern in the Shrine suddenly combusted into dark flames, consuming it and twisting forward. The flames became pale white as it moved out of its housing, increasing into a human shape. As the flames touched the ground, they solidified.

I felt dread creep into my heart as a figure stood before us.

It was a woman. A beautiful woman, at that. She possessed pale white skin, wearing a long and beautiful kimono while her long hair spilled out from the sides of her face. The rest was carefully bound and tied up, giving off a refined look. She was beautiful, and the smile on her face only increased that beauty.

Her eyes and the meaning behind that smile, however, were the opposite of what she presented before us.

A coldness - as frigid and unforgiving as the brutal winter - was held in her features. Beneath her feet, the sheet of ice grew thicker. Tiny spikes even began to grow out from underneath her.

"Dammit!" the voice from before cursed. I turned around. It was the woman from before, back at the train station. "I was too late!"

 _Too late?_

I didn't have time to wonder what that meant, unfortunately. Growls and snarls soon entered within earshot. From either side of the woman in white, beasts wielding silver clubs emerged in a purple haze. Digital pixels composed their forms as they solidified, crafting more defined features. They were humanoid and wore armor. They vaguely resembled werewolves.

Strangely, I identified them easily as I had with the woman in white. Their names came to me in a stream of information - of where, I don't know.

The beasts were the Touki, Kobold. Sprites of German folklore.

The woman in white was the Dragon, Bai Suzhen. A demon who dreamed of becoming a goddess.

They were _demons_.

I had no idea why I knew this information. Nor did I ever have any knowledge of such topics prior. I figured it was the work of the Anguished One for the time being and readied myself as the woman's smile grew wicked.

 **"Ah, finally free. What a stuffy lantern!"** Bai Suzhen said, her voice like music to one's ears with an undertone of danger. Each word that fell from her honey-like lips was cold and frosty like the ice that continued to grow beneath her feet. **"Are you the humans who freed me? How wonderful. How shall I repay you, I wonder?"** She hummed as she tapped her cheek before she came to a decision. One that brought a shiver down my spine. **"Ah, I know! Allow me to give you all a kiss."**

Shijima's Death Clip came to mind. Niita, seemingly coming to the same decision I had, placed herself in front of the poor boy in spite of the tremors in her legs.

"Dammit." the woman muttered as she quickly approached us from behind. In her hand was a black cellphone with bright yellow trims. She was between us and Bai Suzhen and her Kobolds, phone open. "No choice." She turned to us, eyes narrowed. "Hurry and activate your Summoning App! Prepare for combat!"

"H-huh? Summoning App?!" Shijima cried. "W-what?! Can somebody explain?!"

I had an idea what she was referring to. Niita did as well. Shakily, she opened her own cell and pressed a button.

Then I felt my body light like a Christmas tree. The Magic Circuits that lined my systems burned, if only for a brief second.

Blue pixels and static danced in front of Niita, piecing together like shards of glass and creating a shape. It stood as tall as Roni's Lancer, skin dark green with a yellow leotard and a bloody butcher knife. Its hair was wild with a menacing, toothy grin and a bag strapped to it's waist, containing severed limbs.

The Jaki, Ogre. A monster that feasted upon humans.

A _demon_. Just like the Kobold and Bai Suzhen. But it was different. Whereas the three monsters in front of us held an air of venomous animosity, Ogre stood like a sentinel guarding a treasure. It was imposing and radiated bloodlust, but it wasn't directed at any of us. It was directed at the demons before it. It was not an enemy.

It was more akin to a Servant.

No, that wasn't right. It lacked the power and majestic aura that they did. It was more accurate to describe it was a Familiar of some sort.

Shijima looked at Niita in shock. He was still so confused. I didn't blame him. Everything was happening so fast. The woman had pressed a button on her phone and a demon materialized before her from pixels and static. Compared to Ogre, it was smaller and lacked power. Its form was bland, arms and legs nothing but more sticks with stubby fingers holding a pitch fork while a satchel on its back carried seams of straws. At the ankles were sharp sickles

The Touki, Bilwis. The boogeyman of farmers.

Bai Suzhen's smiled grew wicked, giggling into her sleeve. **"Oho? You wish to deny my love? Very well. Come, humans. I will freeze you solid!"**

The Kobolds launched themselves at the woman. At Niita's command of "O-Ogre!" it lunged, defending the woman from one while Bilwis protected its summoner with its pitch fork. Ogre easily pushed the first Kobold away, its massive strength overcoming it easily and shrugging it away from them. Bilwis proved to be also superior in spite of its tiny form, pushing the second demon away and cutting at its face with one of its sickles.

With both out of the way, the woman had rushed at Bai Suzhen. It was a reckless move. A human could stand no chance against these creatures. It would be the same as a human trying to surpass a Servant - an individual who has performed a miracle beyond compare. The Dragon was giggling in amusement by her attempts and held up a hand. The cold air around her formed into a frosty javelin which threw itself at the woman, intending to impale her and kill her.

However, it seems humanity in this world were just as versatile and as resilient as the magus of my world.

The woman reared back her fist and threw a punch, shattering the icy spear. It broke apart and melted instantly. Bai Suzhen was stunned, leaving her open for an attack. Without wasting a beat, the woman closed the gap and delivered a series of punches that forced the demon back, each blow powerful and packing more strength than the average human should. With each strike, tiny pixels broke away from Bai Suzhen and around the woman, seemingly flowing into her phone.

Snarling in anger, Bai Suzhen gathered a cloud of chilling mist. Small icy spikes then formed around her and launched themselves at the woman. She performed a stunning backflip, evading the tiny spikes which shattered as they struck the ground. Red light danced around the woman's fist as she clenched it tightly before ramming it into Bai Suzhen's solar plexus. The result was a left straight that knocked the demon back considerably far.

I, along with Shijima and Niita, were stunned. For a human to possess the strength to oppose a being such as this...how was this possible? Was this the strength of a human? Or something more?

I turned my attention to the two demons who were fighting to defend us.

Ogre was a juggernaut. The Kobold was wild and striking out in a flurry of bestial rage. It struck, swung and clawed at the towering monster who persisted as it grinned. It was clumsy in the way it fought, rarely ever dodging. I could see what looked like the tones of a digital model in certain parts of its body. It sustained damage. Damage that it couldn't repair. In a way, Ogre was like a program, no different than the hostile A.I's me and Saber fought. It only knew how to fight and attack. Nothing else.

The Kobold swung at its head. It took the blow, blowing off a large chunk of data, but its grin remained. Then it grabbed the Kobold by the arm and threw it, slamming it against a brick wall. Raising its cleaver, it swung down and cut into it. The silver blade tore off a giant portion of its data. Unlike Ogre, which was composed of blue pixels, the Kobold was composed of red strands of data, mixed together with black flakes.

The strike was fatal and it broke down, unable to remain stable. It fell apart into uneven blocks of pixels and flakes, continuously breaking down until there was nothing left.

Bilwis, on the other hand, was more adept and more cautious. It was dodging the Kobold's wild swings with precision, bouncing and hovering away from its reach while slowly whittling away at it. Several cuts were all over the Kobold's fur, revealing the digital model that composed its form and structure. It swung again. Bilwis evaded by ducking, feet not touching the ground and thrusting its pitch fork. The sharp prongs cut into its shoulder, causing it to howl and retreat, clutching its wound.

A fatal mistake. One which the ally demon took advantage of.

Bilwis dashed and threw its legs into Kobold's shoulders. The sickles tore into its shoulders, preventing it from moving nor acting. The Kobold snarled, trying to bite at it and remove it from its person, but Bilwis was out of its reach. It gripped its pitch fork with both arms and slammed its weapon, bearing down upon the wolf demon's cranium. It struck true and impaled the enemy demon with extreme prejudice. It did not kill it however. It merely stunned the Kobold as it staggered, weakly growling in defiance. Thus, it stabbed into the enemy once more.

Two thrusts later, and the second Kobold shared its brother's fate.

Bai Suzhen was the only one left.

 **"Annoying wench!"**

I looked back at the woman who fought the Dragon without a hint of fear. Even though her clothes were covered in a thin sheet of frost and slightly torn, her face was calm and cool. Her eyes remained sharp, and her fists remained clenched while slightly pale. Bai Suzhen was irritated as it continued to try and kill her, throwing various spells. Like the Kobolds, the woman in white sustained damage. She was easily more durable than her minions, but she was clearly growing agitated. The woman was angering her with her defiance and slowly overpowering her.

It took me a moment to realize that this woman was no amateur.

This was not her first battle. She has fought demons before. She has fought them and survived. She was not an average human. She was, for lack of better words, a survivor and soldier.

For a moment, I envisioned Rin Tohsaka in her place. Though she fought alongside Lancer, she was not helpless. She fought enemy programs with prowess and skill. She was not some helpless Master, unlike me. She knew what she was getting herself into. She prepared and trained for this kind of conflict.

This woman was just like Tohsaka. She trained to fight demons, and now stood on par with one.

"What am I looking at?" I heard Shijima gasp. "W-what is this? Some kind of scene straight out of a manga?!"

I didn't blame him. The sight was so surreal, yet at the same time so familiar. It was no different than the battles I participated in back in the Moon Cell Holy Grail War.

A blast of cold air swept off of Bai Suzhen's arm as she targeted the woman. Icicles rose from the ground, speeding toward her. The woman was unflinching and instead met the charge, jump over them before coming back to the ground. Bai Suzhen tried to kill her with another blast of cold air that would freeze her solid, but she evaded and struck with a side blow that threw the frozen maiden off her feet. She was thrown to the ground and knocked away.

Huffing, the woman swept off the icy flakes from her sleeves, staring at Bai Suzhen with a sharp glare.

"Surrender, Bai Suzhen."

I balked.

She was asking a demon to _surrender_? Was she mad?

 **"Tch...!"**

Bai Suzhen spat in fury. If looks could kill, the woman would be dead a hundred times over. The cold aura the demon exuded had begun to fade, a sign that she had been significantly weakened. I also saw fear in those eyes. Bai Suzhen saw that she was cornered. On the verge of defeat. If she resisted, she would be slain. I suppose that, to one such as her, the most important thing was self-preservation. However, to surrender meant to be sealed away.

I didn't know why Bai Suzhen was sealed away inside a lantern, but if what I saw was of any indication, along with Shijima's Death Video, she was far too dangerous to be left alone.

Slowly, the woman approached. Bai Suzhen looked around, possibly looking for a way to escape. If she didn't act quickly, she'd be cut down or sealed up. Neither was a good option.

Then she found us.

And she _grinned_.

I realized what she had in mind. I opened my mouth, warning Shijima and Niita. The warning came too late. If Bai Suzhen was going to die, she was going to take us with her. An idea she followed through on as she sent several icicles our way, all of which aimed for every vital organ.

The world seemed to slow down for us. My body was slowly moving, trying to reach the two students before they died. Shijima was trying to stand, but was too exhausted. Niita was trying to pull him up and flee. By the time Shijima was on his feet, the icicles would have already impaled and killed us. Instead of Shijima being the only casualty, we would be dead along with him.

That was nothing new for me. In the Moon Cell, death was common place. I watched so many people die. Ronnie. Julius. Leo. Shinji. They were regrettable deaths, and ones that told me what kind of war I was getting myself into, whether I liked it or not.

Data could be copied. Data could be restored. Data could be deleted. Data could be repaired. In this sense, it was theoretically possible to salvage and save everyone who had been deleted by the Moon Cell. It was, after all, a world composed of data, polygons and pixels. No, it was so much more than that. In that world, data was practically one's very own life blood.

But this wasn't the Moon Cell. Nothing here was made of data. This was the real world. In this world, death was permanent. There was nothing that could save a person.

Was this...really my fate?

Was I...going to die?

Was I going to watch two people who I had just met die as well?

 **[Installation Progress: 97%]**

...no. This can't be how it ends.

 **[Installation Progress: 98%]**

The Anguished One brought me to this world for a reason. He gave me this body. He wanted me to prove humanity's worth to someone or something. I don't know why he chose me, someone who was useless...but I did know one thing.

I _refused_ to die here. I _rejected_ my Fate.

 **[Installation Progress: 99%]**

She was waiting for me. There, in the Moon Cell. My partner. The one person who never gave up on me. The person who gave this empty shell of mine actual meaning.

Somehow, I could feel her warmth. I pictured that beautiful smile on her face as the rose petals that were so very much apart of her danced around us inside that beautiful golden theater.

I want to see her again. I want to hold her in my arms. I want to stand by her side. I want to fight alongside her. I want to prove my existence, be it to someone or to the gods.

Bai Suzhen could go to hell for all I care. I wasn't going to die here. And neither were Shijima or Niita.

* * *

 **[Installation Progress: 100%]  
[SE-RA-PH Ars Nova System Uploaded]  
[Spiritron Conversion Successful]  
[Magnetite Installation implemented]  
[Moon Cell Connection Established]  
[Uploading Phantasm Data]  
[Implementing Command Seal Sub-Routines]  
[CS Systems Successfully Installed]  
[Activating Servant Summoning Application]**

* * *

My hand tingled, as if lit aflame. I saw blue circuits running up my hand, stemming from the cell phone in my hand. A program had opened and was currently running. A program I had no knowledge of. Yet, somehow, the feeling that encroached my arm was familiar. The sensation was similar to one moment in time. The moment I had been christened a Master in the Grail War.

I felt something emerging. Forming from pixels and data, streaming together at a pace that took place in the same moment the icicles that would end us were coming closer. It was all taking place within this one second.

I recognized the presence that was being called upon. This beautiful feeling in my heart. This warm grasp that wrapped around my hand, as if someone was holding it with their own hand.

Elation filled my heart. I would never forget this feeling. A smile touches my face as my lips begin to part, shouting a single word from the top of my lungs.

We would survive. I was going to save them. No matter what, I had to. We would reject this unfair fate and survive.

I won't allow this!

And thus, I call for her.

" _SABER_!"

...

...

...

...

"...Praetor!"

And the Emperor of Roses answered.

Time returned to normal. An explosion of power and data ripped all across the air, creating a shockwave that kicked up debris and dust. The icicles were shattered apart like glass. No, not quite. It would be more accurate to say that the ice was reduced to mere vapor from the heat that came at it.

A red sword danced in the midst of the explosion. Rose petals danced together with beautiful flames, flying through the air and bearing down on Bai Suzhen. She didn't even have time to scream before the crescent inferno cut her down, ripping apart her infrastructure down to the tiniest strands of pixels and polygons. Unlike her servants, she wasn't even graced with the fate of being continuously broken down from her remains. Instead, the flames ate away at the remains in an instant, practically erasing Bai Suzhen completely.

The streams of light faded. In the center of where the light originated was a single woman, clad in a beautiful red dress and golden hair. In hand was an ornate red sword, a small flicker of flame gracing its edge before flickering away.

Everyone was stunned. Shjima and Niita stared at her in wonder, completely taken by her dramatic entrance and grace. The woman looked at her in surprise, as if she were staring at something foreign and unusual.

She ignored them and instead turned to me. Emerald green eyes greeted my own brown ones while a smile graced her beautiful face.

"Good grief, Praetor... Must you get yourself into trouble?"

I laugh awkwardly, rising to my feet.

"Sorry, Saber."

"You're forgiven."

A moment passes by before she dismisses her sword. She steps forward and wraps her arms around me. I feel the incredible warmth her body brings while my heart begins to race. Unlike the many times she's held me, I take notice of something soft pressing against my chest. Somehow, it causes my cheeks to burn pink.

How utterly embarrassing.

I return the hug, wrapping my arms around her waist.

"I missed you..."

Saber giggled. "And I missed you as well, Praetor, however short our time apart was." She took a step back and then put her hands on her hips. "However, do not think you're off the hook! I expect a proper apology at a later date!"

"Hai, hai..."

"Umu! Good!"

Hahahaha...I never would thought I would have missed her saying that.

* * *

Blooming Rose: END

* * *

Taiga: Do my eyes deceive me?! Or is this an actual update from the authors?!

Kuro: I think so.

Hibiki: Um...who are you?

Taiga: Oh, this is Kuro! She's Illya's, um...sibling.

Kuro: She's still shell-shocked over what happened last chapter, so I'm here to take her place.

Hibiki: Oh.

Taiga: Anyway...! Welcome, boys and girls, to my Dojo! Welcome back! I am your host, Taiga Fujimura!

Kuro: And I'm Chloe von Einzbern. Just call me Kuro.

Hibiki: And I'm Hibiki Kuze.

Taiga: Anyway, what a surprise! The Moon's Cell Saber of Red has finally appeared! And what a dramatic entrance to boot!

Kuro: Teach, it's "Red Saber." Not "Saber of Red." Get it right!

Hibiki: What's the difference?

Taiga: We'll tell you later. Anyway, the author was kind enough to give us a sheet for Saber's info! Hibiki, if you would!

Hibiki: O-oh, right. *takes out paper* Okay, let's see... Name: Nero Claudius. Race: Saber. Racial Skill: Prana Burst. Level: 15.

Kuro: Wait, what?! Hold on a damn minute! Level 15?! I thought she was at endgame?! Why's her stats so freaking low?!

Taiga: Well, you have to remember. This is a whole new ballgame. They're in a universe where characters kills gods and demons on a daily basis. Plus, since Saber's been summoned kinda differently, she's not going to be as strong. She's easily a match for your run-of-the-mill demons, but against more powerful foes, like Botis or Bifrons-!

Hibiki: Ah! Miss Taiga! Spoilers!

Taiga: Oh, right. Sorry~! Anyway, Saber's summoning has kinda made her into something, well, different. She's not a Servant anymore. But she's not a demon or angel, either. She's like something in between!

Kuro: ...the hell does that mean?

Taiga: Beats me. Anyway, with that out of the way, Hibiki, bring out the questions.

Hibiki *nods and opens envelope* This question is from a guest user named **Nanashi93**. They're asking about whether or not Servants from other series will appear as enemies.

Taiga: Oh, good question! Sadly, the answer is no. Aside from the Servants Hakuno is summoning, no other characters from Nasuverse will appear.

Kuro: Huh. The next one is from another guest called **superpeirce**. It's about whether or not the Servants summoned will break their class limits if they get stronger.

Hibiki: From what I saw, the answer is yes...and no? Um, since the Servants aren't exactly "Servants" anymore, they're of a different kind of existence. They're not Servants or Demons, but they aren't Angels or Gods, either. Something else and more powerful. That said, they still absorb magnetite like other demons, which increases their power.

Taiga: So, technically speaking, yes! They will break their class limits! Heck, they might even surpass their Heroic Spirit forms!

Kuro: And how strong are Heroic Spirits?

Taiga: *shrugs* How should I know? Go ask Nasu!

Hibiki: Anyway, moving on. The last question is from **GraveBreaker**. Since we mentioned scenes and facts that are from two different routes in the game together in a mix, they're asking whether or not if the story Hakuno went through is a mix.

Taiga: Sorry, but for the time being, that's spoilers! That's the end of our Q&A! Our next chapter is the meeting between Hakuno and Yamato Hotsuin! Be sure to like and review, everyone! CHECK IT OUT!

Kuro: See ya, losers. I gotta go snap Illya out of it.

Hibiki: Until next time!


End file.
